ST. LOUIS (AP) - Melky Cabrera homered to back a strong outing from Jose Quintana, and the Chicago White Sox pulled away late to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 Wednesday night in a game interrupted by three rain delays.
The Cardinals lead the majors with a 51-26 record and had a six-game winning streak entering the two-game series but were held to a single run in each of the two losses to Chicago. They were 0 for 16 with runners in scoring position, including seven hitless at-bats Wednesday.
Quintana (4-7) allowed a run in six innings with eight strikeouts to win for the first time in four starts. The lefty worked at least six innings for the 10th straight time, none of the starts lasting longer than seven innings.
Cabrera homered in the sixth to give the White Sox the lead. Tyler Flowers' two-run homer highlighted a five-run ninth for the White Sox, who had dropped 12 of 16 entering the series.
There were 2hours, 19 minutes in delays, all but a half-hour coming before the first pitch. On Sunday, the Cardinals beat the Cubs in a game that lasted 2:28 but consumed 2:29 in delays.
John Lackey (6-5) allowed two runs in seven innings with six strikeouts and two walks. The 36-year-old right-hander worked seven or more innings for the sixth time in seven starts.
Cabrera hit his third homer, and second in three games, for a 2-1 lead leading off the sixth. Flowers has homered in his last three games, a career best.
The Cardinals wasted Mark Reynolds' first triple since 2011 in the sixth after Adam Eaton missed on a sliding attempt in center field when Quintana struck out Randal Grichuk and Yadier Molina flied out.
Jhonny Peralta had an RBI double in the first for St. Louis.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: LHP Dan Jennings (neck) was activated from the 15-day disabled list.
Cardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia was ruled out for Thursday's start against the Padres but is optimistic about returning from a mild groin strain Tuesday in a double-header against the Cubs.
UP NEXT
White Sox: John Danks, who faces the Orioles Friday, was 0-4 with a 6.85 ERA in four starts last month.
Cardinals: Rookie Tim Cooney is likely to be recalled from Triple-A Memphis to face the Padres Thursday. It'll be Cooney's second career start - the lefty lasted just 2 1-3 innings April 30 against the Phillies.
TOUGH ASSIGNMENT
Marcus Hatley made his major league debut for St. Louis in the ninth, entering with the bases loaded and nobody out and top Chicago RBI man Jose Abreu at the plate. Abreu hit a two-run single through a drawn-in infield.
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